


Haunted by the Ghost of You

by HockeyRPFFan



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Ghosts, Major Character Death Mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2020-12-13 23:42:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21006119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HockeyRPFFan/pseuds/HockeyRPFFan
Summary: “I was chatting with a woman, that’s why I’m late. Is she a new coach too?” Scott asks.Marie and Patch exchange a look.“Scott, we are the only ones here.” Patch says slowly.OrScott starts coaching at Gadbois and finds a ghost named Tessa haunts the rink.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween everyone! 
> 
> While this certainly isn’t my best writing, this idea has been floating around my head for a while and I convinced myself to post this short story. 
> 
> Please note that Tessa is dead in this story and is portrayed as a ghost. This is very much an AU story, and her death is discussed but not in an overly morbid way. If you have any questions before reading, please don’t hesitate to chat with me on tumblr @theannoyinglyfuriouscollection! I know supernatural elements do bother some people, and I’d be more than happy to reveal more of the plot if it gives you peace of mind. 
> 
> Title comes from the song The Night We Met by Lord Huron.

Scott Moir knows three things after his first full day of coaching at Gadbois.

1\. Gen Z humor is strange, and after a day of listening to all the different teams chat back and forth he still doesn’t get it.

2\. He’s a bit rustier with the golden waltz than he’d thought he’d be.

3\. Marie-France has offered him whatever team he wants to be head coach for, and he has no idea who to pick. 

He slumps down on the coaching office couch, taking a second to breathe, and notes that it’s somehow 5 o’clock. It’s simultaneously been the longest and shortest day ever, and while dinner and his bed are calling his name, he still has a lot of work to do. Mainly he has to pick a team to coach by tomorrow morning. 

No big deal. 

He’s hasn’t been an ice dancer in years - since 2014 actually, when he and his skating partner retired - and while he’s been coaching in Ilderton it isn’t the same as being in Montreal. Taking on a few local teams back home had been easy. Most wouldn’t get past the provincial level, and nearly all of them would quit by the time they got to high school. The ice dancers at Gadbois were on a whole other level - an Olympic level, to be exact. 

He’d narrowed down his choice between two teams who’d come to Gadbois in the past year. Both were young and looking for a good coach to help them elevate their game as they entered the senior level. Whichever team he didn’t pick would end up with another Gadbois coach, so it really was a win-win situation for everyone involved. 

“Ugh.” He groans, rubbing at his eyes. The choice isn’t coming easily, and he’s desperate to get it off his mind. He tries to think of anything he can do around the rink other than obsess over his decision, and remembers Patch had asked if he’d lead off-ice warm ups tomorrow. 

The tour he received from Marie-France that morning seems like a lifetime ago, but he manages to find the dance studio after a few wrong turns. The room is dark and quiet, the smell of sweat, rosin and rubber wafting in waves thanks to the creaky old AC unit jammed in the window. 

He flips on the lights, and drops his water bottle and sweatshirt to the ground. Of the many things he is, a great dancer is not one of them. He’s decent enough, and his skating partner always said he felt the music better than anyone else, but he can’t whip out choreography like some of his colleagues. His warm up won’t have to be too complicated though, so he goes through some simple motions that target all the muscle groups.

The lights flicker a bit over his head as he moves, but he pays it no mind. If anything, he chalks it up to the building being old, even with some of its recent renovations. He can’t explain why the room is beyond freezing though. 

After enduring a few minutes of icy air, he makes his way over to the AC unit. He pokes at it first, and after feeling no improvement slaps his hand against the side of the machine. It isn’t set too low, and the air coming out of the machine itself isn’t that cold, but the room is frigid. Scott makes a mental note to leave a message for the maintenance guy on his way out.

He turns away from the unit and nearly jumps out of his skin as he makes eye contact with a woman across the room.

“Geez!” He shouts, pressing a hand to his chest. “Sorry, you scared me. I didn’t hear you come in.”

The woman gives him a soft smile.

“Do you have the room reserved? I didn’t even think to check the schedule.” He admits. The woman shakes her head slowly. 

“Oh, okay. Well I’ll be done in a few minutes if you want some time to yourself.” He tells her, and then shakes his head. “Where are my manners? I haven’t even introduced myself. I’m Scott Moir. I’m the new skating coach.” 

He walks closer and extends his hand to her. The woman makes no move to shake his hand, and clenches her hands tighter together if anything. He doesn’t let it deter him. 

“And your name is?” He asks, retracting his hand slowly, as if the woman before him is an animal he’s trying not to spook.

“Tessa.”

Scott smiles at her. “Nice to meet you, Tessa.”

His phone buzzes loudly against the wood flooring, and he gives her a sheepish smile and goes to retrieve it. 

“Sorry about that, it was just Marie-France.” He tells her, typing out a quick response on his phone without looking up. “She’s locking up the office for the night, so I’m going to get going.” He sends his message and then looks up. It was nice to -.” 

The room is empty. 

Huh.

He shrugs to himself and quickly grabs his water bottle and makes his way back down the hall. Tessa isn’t anywhere to be found, though Scott still feels a bit shaky on the floor plan and he isn’t sure what rooms around the dance studio she could have slipped into.

He makes it back to the office without getting lost, which he considers his win for the day, and calls out a greeting as he opens the door. 

“Ah! There you are ma cherie.” Marie-France smiles wryly at him from where she’s packing her bag. “I was worried I’d have to send out a search party for you.” 

“Ha ha.” Scott deadpans as he grabs his bag from his locker. “I’ll have you know I made it from the dance studio without getting lost. I was chatting with a woman, that’s why I’m late. Is she a new coach too?”

Marie and Patch exchange a look.

“Scott, we are the only ones here.” Patch says slowly.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who expressed how intrigued and excited they were about this story. It means so much to me and I’m thrilled people are interested!

__

__

_Previously..._

_“Ha ha.” Scott deadpans as he grabs his bag from his locker. “I’ll have you know I made it from the dance studio without getting lost. I was chatting with a woman, that’s why I’m late. Is she a new coach too?” _

_Marie and Patch exchange a look._

_“Scott, we are the only ones here.” Patch says slowly._

**CHAPTER TWO**

“I don’t think so.” Scott replies, shaking his head. ”I had a whole conversation with a woman in the studio.”

The two coaches exchange another look, this one a bit more serious, and Scott really wishes they’d bring him into the loop. He hates being out of the loop.

“This woman...what did she look like?” Marie gets up from her desk to walk towards him.

“I don’t know.” Scott scratches at the back of his head. “Fair skin, long brunette hair. Not too tall. She had these really gorgeous-.”

“Green eyes.” Patch and Marie blurt out at the same time, sounding just a smidge exasperated.

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“She’s been around.” Marie says cautiously. “Did she tell you her name?”

“Tessa.” Scott replies, and then crosses his arms. He doesn’t have a good feeling about what he’s about to find out. “What am I missing here? Is she not supposed to be here?”

“She is not one of our staff members.” Patch glances around like he’s wary about having this conversation. “This Tessa...she appears here from time to time.”

“Appears?” Scott questions, his voice rising an octave. “What do you mean she appears?”

“We believe she’s a ghost.” Marie says gently. “Or a spirit. Something not of this world at least.”

“A ghost?!” Scott shakes his head at them. “You’re both messing with me.”

“I wish we were. We really don’t understand it ourselves, honestly.” Patch explains, his face set in a grim expression. “Sometimes she’s seen in the studio, other times on the ice. We tend to hear her more than we see her.”

Marie nods. “She’s harmless though. Never causes any trouble. Sometimes things go missing and appear somewhere else, or the air gets a bit cold or something thuds on the floor above. That’s all though.”

“Why are you both so calm about this? You’re claiming to have an actual ghost living in the rink. That seems like kind of a big problem.” Scott can’t believe he’s having this conversation with his new bosses on his first day. Or any day for that matter.

“We’ve talked to some friends about it, even clergy.” Marie wrings her hands. “A priest tried to bless the building, but she doesn’t seem to want to go.”

Scott can’t even process everything he’s heard - let alone that he had a conversation with someone that apparently doesn’t exist. He is staunchly refusing to think about that, thank you very much.

“We don’t mean to frighten you, Scott. We weren’t even going to tell you unless you came to us first.” Patch confesses.

“We didn’t want to frighten you off.” Marie adds.

Scott laughs. “Well that plan went well didn’t it?”

He realizes he sounds borderline hysterical, so he focuses his nervous energy on zipping his bag shut and sliding his arms through the straps. “Well, now that we’ve gotten that conversation out of the way, I guess it’s time to go home.”

He shivers a bit, and internally curses.

“Dammit. I left my sweatshirt in the studio.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Patch asks.

Scott rolls his eyes. “Nope. I’ll be fine. I don’t scare easily.”

Both Patch and Marie eye him like they definitely don’t believe that statement, but let him go anyway. He opens the office door, and trips on something as he walks out of the room.

His sweatshirt is neatly folded on the floor.

“And you’re sure no one else is here?” Scott croaks out. He picks up the sweatshirt with shaking hands.

“Afraid so.” Patch says, coming up behind him and clapping him on the shoulder. “You’ll get used to it. She’s probably just excited since you’re new.”

“Ah.” Scott hums, as if any part of that sentence made sense. He tucks the sweatshirt into his bag, choosing to ignore the fact it now smells faintly of strawberries.

“Ready to go?” Marie asks, and he nods. The three of them step outside the office, and the door locks shut behind them. “Do you mind checking the rink? We always double check the ice and locker rooms before leaving in case any skaters left anything behind.”

Scott agrees, passing the locker rooms that Marie and Patch go into.

The ice is dark, just emergency lighting flooding the surface. He quickly scans the bench and throws away an errant cup of coffee. The silence is eerie, and the hair on his arms stand up.

Quiet music echoes around the rink, and after the initial jolt of fear it sends down his spine subsides, he recognizes it as the free dance music the team he’s considering coaching is using for the season.

“The Canadian team? That’s who I should coach?” Scott asks quietly. The music stops, and the rink returns to eerie silence. “Alright then, Tessa. I’ll trust you. Just no funny business! Please.”

He turns away from the ice and backs down the hall. The sound of skates scrapping the ice makes him jump seeing as he knows no one is out there, and he walks faster down the hall to get back to Marie and Patch. At least there isn’t anyone there to judge him for it.

Minus a friendly ghost, apparently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please feel free to come chat with me on tumblr @theannoyinglyfuriouscollection!


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you all for the lovely comments and enthusiasm for the last chapter. It means the world to me!

True to Marie-France and Patrice’s word, he doesn’t get anymore visits from Tessa over the next few weeks. He can’t say he doesn’t double check each room he walks into, expecting to catch a glimpse of her, but he feels comfortable enough to walk around the building by himself at night.

Without her hanging over his head (literally), he’s able to settle into coaching his new team. Eve Johnson and Benjamin King are starting their first year as seniors, and while senior status may seem grown up to people outside the skating community, they’re both still 17 and absolute infants to Scott. He loves them dearly, but he thinks he forgot all the drama that comes with that age. 

“Don’t be such a wuss, Benji!” Scott hears Eve call out. Her voice is always loud, and while Scott is normally a morning person it’s a lot of noise to handle at 5 a.m.

“Eve…” He warns without looking up from his clipboard.

“Sorry!” She calls back. “It’s just that Benji is all freaked out because his skate guards disappeared this morning.”

“Eve!” Benjamin moans. “Stop telling people. I’ll find them after practice.”

“More like she’ll bring them to you.” Eve teases.

That catches Scott’s attention. He tries to not get involved in the rink gossip, but even he can’t resist indulging from time to time. 

“Who’s going to bring them to you?” He asks. Based off his own time as an ice dancer, he assumes he’s about to hear a story about how Benji is soft on someone. Probably another ice dancer. Because ice dance is messy like that. 

“The ghost.” Eve replies easily. “Have you heard of her?”

“I have.” Scott sets his clipboard down and braces his arms on the boards. “Why do you think she took them exactly?”

Benji shrugs. “I had them on my skates when I went to the bathroom and when I came back they were gone.”

“And you don’t think another skater took them?”

Eve sighs, her tone exasperated. “We’re the only ones here, coach.” 

She has him there, Scott thinks. Not even Marie-France or Patch are in yet. Any skaters that had a morning session were just starting to come in. 

“I’ll help you look after practice, okay?” Scott asks, eager to change the subject, and Benji nods. “Great! Now let’s get working on those twizzles.”

————

Scott spends a solid 15 minutes searching the men’s locker room with Benji, but no skate guards turn up.

“You’re sure you had then when you came in?” He asks.

Benji nods. “I’m positive, coach. I went to the bathroom before putting my skates on, and when I came back the guards weren’t on anymore.”

Scott hums. He has no reason not to believe Benji. His own sweatshirt had reappeared at the office door, so it wasn’t like it was out of the realm of possibility for the skate guards to just magically disappear.

“It’s not the first time.” Benji admits. ”I’m sure they’ll turn up. I’ll just find a backup pair until then.”

“What do you mean it isn’t the first time they’ve disappeared?” Scott asks, his head whipping towards Benji.

Benji sighs deeply, sounding much older than his 17 years. “The ghost seems to be into the guys.”

“And by being into guys you mean what exactly?”

“Well,” Benji crosses his arms. “She always takes stuff from the guys, never the girls. Pretty much everyone here has seen or heard her, but she tends to appear to the guys when they’re alone. At least that’s what I’ve heard.”

“Well that’s…” Scott hesitates, trying to find the appropriate word. ”Interesting.” Just when he thought he was cool with the whole ghost thing he’s back to being a bit unnerved. Damnit.

“Have you seen her, coach?” Benji asks. “I haven’t, but a few of the older guys told me they have.”

“Maybe. Look, I think it’s time you head off to the gym.” Scott redirects. “I’ve got some choreography to work on.”

————

He’s been in the studio for over an hour and he’s still stuck on the same section of music for the rhythm dance. Nothing seems to be clicking, and he’s about ready to call it quits and ask Marie-France for help. 

He squats down in front of the mirror to mess with his phone. After fiddling with the volume control, he glances up into the mirror and promptly falls back on his ass.

Tessa peers back at him with a curious expression on her face. Scott whips his head around to look back behind him, but she isn’t there. 

“Um hi? You really scared me there.” He says shakily. “What are you doing in the mirror exactly?”

She doesn’t say anything, just keeps watching him. It makes Scott shiver and he wishes someone else was in the room to confirm he isn’t completely losing his mind. 

The sun shines brightly in the room and reflects across the glass. Just as quickly as she appeared, Tessa disappears. 

He lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, and shakes his head. Thoroughly done with being in the studio, he makes his way back towards the locker room. He’s needed on the ice in a half hour anyway, so he sits down to put his skates on. 

He rummages through his bag for his skate guards, trying to locate the familiar black pieces of plastic.

“What the…” He mumbles as he pulls out a pair of silver guards that are most certainly not his. A scribbled “B.K.” in black sharpie confirms that he’s just found Benji’s missing guards. Except he didn’t put them there, of course.

“What do you want, Tessa?” He whispers. Of course she doesn’t respond, and he didn’t expect her to. He just wishes he knew what she wanted - and he’s determined to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> If you want to chat all things ghosts, VM or RTR, come see me on tumblr @theannoyinglyfuriouscollection.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to all of you that commented on the last chapter! I’m so thrilled to see how many of your are invested in figuring out what Tessa wants. This chapter reveals her past, and gives some hints as to what she’s looking for. 
> 
> As a warning, this chapter does discuss two characters’ deaths. The description isn’t graphic, but if it isn’t something you’re sure about and need clarification please come feel free to chat with me on tumblr @theannoyinglyfuriouscollection!

“Has Gadbois always had an ice rink?” Scott asks, taping his chewed-up pen against the desk as he sits in the coaching office.

“Yes, I believe so.” Patch responds, looking up from his laptop. “Why do you ask?”

“Just some research.” Scott tells him. “Have skating lessons always been offered, or maybe dance classes even?”

“Probably both, but I don’t know for sure.” Patch gives him a questioning look. “What are you working on?”

“Um, just a little project.” Scott bites down on his pen. It crunches satisfyingly between his teeth. “Do you think there are any records of those early classes?”

“I doubt it.” Patch gets up from his desk and walks around to Scott’s, leaning against the edge. “So you’re not going to tell me what you're looking for?”

Scott knows he’s caught. It’s Patch, and he can’t lie to him. “I wanted to see if maybe the ghost, Tessa, was a student here or something. Maybe we can help her move on or find peace or whatever.”

Patch’s face softens. “I can ask Marie if she knows anything. But Scott, if the girl doesn’t want to move on, you can’t make her. That’s my understanding at least.”

“I know. I just...I want to know her, to help her. There’s just something about her.”

Patch nods. “Just be safe, okay?”

“Of course.” Scott agrees.

————

“This is all I could find.”

Scott jumps as a stack of papers lands on his chest. He’d been attempting a quick post-lunch nap before the afternoon skating sessions, but apparently Marie-France had other ideas.

“What exactly did you find?” He asks, rubbing his eyes as he sits up.

“Old records. Gadbois has gone through some major renovations over the years. The front office did not always keep the best records, but these are from the early years.”

Scott skims the pages, taking in the mess of French, English and cursive. “You’re the best Marie.”

She waves a hand at him as she walks to her desk. “Yes, yes. I know.”

After a full afternoon session, and picking up some takeout for dinner, Scott hurries home. He hasn’t had the chance to look at the old files yet, and he can’t wait to sift through them to see if he can find any record of Tessa.

The first hour he spends reading provides no new information. Nothing seems to be in chronological order either, not that it matters since he has no idea what years Tessa was alive.

He’s just about to give up for the night when he finds a few pages of notes from 1979. It’s from maybe the first or second year of Gadbois being open, and it notes that ice dance had been added as new curriculum. He’s interested in that anyways, so he reads through the bit of information provided. Most of the students were kids or teens, with a few young adults mixed in.

The list of students is unsurprisingly short:

_Bouchard, Veronique and Smith, Timothy_

_Carr, Kimberly and Dryden, André_

_Hoffman, Amber and Colopy, Richard_

_Jones, Laura and Frazier, James_

_Virtue, Tessa and Gagner, Théo_

Tessa Virtue.

He can’t help but stare at the name. It has to be her, he thinks. What he needs is more information. He quickly scans through the rest of the pages, but he doesn’t see her name anywhere else.

Google is his next place to search. The name turns up only a handful of results. The first few web pages consist of a couple of ancestry pages and one article about her moving to Montreal to train in hopes of reaching the Olympics someday.

The last two articles are both what he was looking for and completely heartbreaking. The first is her obituary. The writing is cold and bland, like someone wrote it who didn’t know her. She was just 23, and from what he can tell her death was unexpected.

The second article provides clarity:

_OLYMPIC HOPEFULS DIE IN CAR ACCIDENT_

_December 15, 1979_

_London, Ontario - Two Ontario natives, Tessa Virtue and Théo Gagner, died due to a car accident in Montreal this week._

_According to police, Virtue and Gagner were on there way to their training facility, Gadbois Ice Rink, when Gagner’s car hit a patch of black ice and crashed. The coroner’s office reported today that Gagner died on impact. Virtue was transported to the McGill University Hospital, but ultimately succumbed to her injuries yesterday afternoon._

_Virtue and Gagner were hoping to represent Canada in the 1984 Olympics at Sarajevo after missing the cut for the upcoming 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid._

_“We’re saddened by the news of Tessa and Théo’s passing,” Tracy Wilson, a Canadian ice dancer said. “Rob and I send the best to their families during this difficult time.”_

_The Gagner family intends to have a service for their son once the investigation of the crash concludes. The Virtue family was unable to be reached._

It makes Scott’s stomach churn. The thought of such young people being torn away in such a violent way during the prime of their lives is sickening. He understands now why she can’t move on.

He clicks on the images tab on the search page. An old, grainy photo of Tessa shows up, showing the same dark hair and pale skin he knows. The boy next to her he assumes is Théo. He’s tall with dark hair and brown eyes.

If Scott’s honest, he and Théo actually look pretty similar. He somehow knows that’s why she watches him. Maybe it’s a way to reminisce, or maybe she thinks he’s actually Théo.

Either way, he knows he needs to see her again.

————

Montréal is gripped by a massive thunderstorm the next day. Thunder echoes around the rink and the lights flicker all day, though they never go out thanks to the heavy duty generators the rink has to make sure the ice stays frozen.

Tessa is heavy on his mind the whole day, but he doesn’t share his revelations with anyone yet. He feels like he has to talk to Tessa first, it’s what she deserves. How he’s going to do that he isn’t sure, but he figures it’s worth a shot to try.

By the time the last skaters are gone it’s pushing 8 o’clock. The rink is silent and nearly all the lights are off minus the emergency lighting in the hallways. He sits on the floor in the middle of the dance studio and waits.

Lighting cracks outside the window, and he has to will himself to keep calm. He wipes his clammy palms on his thighs.

“Tessa? I know you’re here somewhere. I’m not going to hurt you, I just want to talk.” He says, his voice echoing in the empty room.

It’s silent for a moment, as if the whole world is waiting to see if she responds. The roar of thunder a few moments later is so loud it rattles the windows in their panes, and rain lashes the windows.

He looks into the mirror, and sure enough Tessa is there. She stands behind him, and when he turns around, she's actually there this time.

“I want to talk to you.” He tells her. She nods slowly.

“You’re Tessa Virtue, aren’t you?” He asks. She holds his eye contact for a moment and then walks a few paces away, her back turned.

“You know my name.” She whispers. “No one knows my name.”

“Yes, I know your name.” He confirms. “I know who you are, and I know what happened.”

She whips around to face him. Her face is a mix of sorrow and anger, a look he’s never seen on her before.

“You can move on. I know I would, if I were you.” He tells her, getting to his feet.

She’s suddenly in front of him, and the air around her is freezing.

“You don’t know me! Nobody knows me!” She grits out, her eyes flashing in anger.

“You’re right. I don’t know you. I only know some of your story. Why don’t you tell me?” He asks calmly, even though he feels anything but that.

Tessa shifts away. “I’m an ice dancer. I moved to train at Gadbois in 1979. My partner and I wanted to go to the Olympics.”

It’s the most Tessa’s ever said to him, and he keeps silent, not wanting to ruin the moment.

“We loved it here. But one morning we were coming to practice and my partner hit a patch of ice with his car. We hit a tree on the side of the road. It was an accident, and....”

“He died.” Scott whispers. 

Tessa looks up at him. Her eyes are full of unshed tears.

“I keep looking for him and I can’t find him.” She confesses. “He’s late for practice.”

“I don’t think he’s here.” Scott says softly.

“I’m waiting for him. Maybe he’ll come soon.” Tessa says. “That’s why I can’t go.”

Scott almost wishes he could hug her. Her tale is just too sad, and her reason for staying even more so.

“Tessa, what year is it?” He asks gently.

She seems to think hard and then sighs sadly. “I don’t know. I can’t keep track.”

“It’s been 40 years since you both passed. It’s 2019.”

Tessa shakes her head, and her entire body seems to flicker. “No. No. That can’t be. It just happened and I’m waiting for him. He’s my partner, I can’t go without him.”

“I think he’s already gone.” Scott tells her.

She drops her head into her hands and let out a muffled wail. The lights in the room surge, and shatter. Scott ducks as glass fragments rain down from the ceiling.

When he looks back up, she’s gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading! 
> 
> I’m going to leave the last two chapters for next week, so look for the next chapter early next week and the final chapter on Halloween 😉


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all that commented on the last chapter! I love the concern you all have for Ghost Tessa. This chapter will answer your questions on what she wants. 
> 
> I appreciate all of your patience on waiting for this chapter. I’ve had some health issues for a few days, and an older health issue that’s popped up again, so I’ve put a lot of my effort into (slowly) feeling better before I fly to Canada for RTR a week from today! Good vibes and prayers would be much appreciated if you’re into that kind of thing 💜

Scott spends the night tossing and turning in bed. What little sleep he gets is plagued with nightmares. He dreams of dancing with Tessa and her disappearing out of his arms over and over. 

He dreams of skating with her and watching her crash to the ice in a heap, unable to help her.

He dreams of Tessa, bruised and bloodied and waiting for eternity. 

Needless to say, he’s not well rested in the slightest when he comes in the next morning, and it takes all his will power to coach Eve and Benji. 

“Are you sure you’re okay, coach?” Eve asks. “Cause you really not looking too hot.”

Leave it to Eve to be brutally honest, he thinks. “Yes Eve, I’m fine.”

“Did you hear all the lights shattered in the studio?” Benji asks. “Marie-France found it like that this morning when she came in.”

“I bet it was the ghost.” Eve stage whispers. 

Scott drops his clipboard onto the bench. The loud crack draws the attention of both his skaters. “Let’s leave the ghost out of it, okay?”

————

Despite his better judgement, Scott goes back up to the studio once everyone has left. 

Only one bank of lights have been repaired, and the room is dark beyond the dim lighting and the glow of the moon. 

“Tessa? Look I’m sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just want to talk, okay?” He calls out. 

He sees movement out of the corner of his eye, but he doesn’t dare move, not wanting to scare her off. She appears in front of him. 

“I don’t want to talk.” She says.

“That’s fine.” He tells her. “Can you listen at least?”

She stares at him, and he notices her eyes are more empty than he’s ever seen them. Well, as empty as a ghost’s eyes can be he supposes.

“Your loyalty to Théo is admirable. I wish my own skating partner had been as loyal to me as you are to him. I didn’t know Théo, but I think he’d want you to move on. If anything, I think he’s waiting for you.” He tells her. She shakes her head, and he can see her bracing herself in the way her shoulders tighten. 

“But I’m waiting for him. He’s late for practice. He wrecked his car, you see.” She explains, almost pleading. 

“I know. But Tessa, I think you and I both know he’s not coming.”

Her head drops to her chest, and Scott reaches out a hand to place on her shoulder. His hand goes straight through her, and his fingers feel like they’ve been plunged into icy water. 

“I think I see him all the time, but it’s never him.” She says, looking up at him with tearful eyes. 

“That’s why you’ve appeared to mostly the guys, you’re searching for him?” He asks, and Tessa nods solemnly.

“I thought you were him. You look so much like him.” She reaches a hand out to caress his cheek. If he concentrates hard enough, he swears he can feel her fingers grazing his cheek. “I wanted you to be him so badly.” 

Scott reaches a hand up to cup hers, even though he can’t really feel her, letting her fingers linger on his cheek. 

“I’m so sorry, Tessa. So sorry. I wish I could help you.” He tells her. 

She gives him a sad smile. “You have, Scott Moir. More than you’ll ever know.” 

She backs away from him, and while Scott wishes he could give her a comforting hug, he is kind of glad she backed off - he’s freezing.

“So…” He says, and then trails off. He wants to ask if she’s now at peace enough to move on, but last time he’d brought moving on up it hadn’t gone too well. 

“I’m going to stay.” She says simply. “For now anyway.”

He shakes his head at her. “Why, Tessa? I don’t understand.”

“I’m not ready.” She tells him, and then walks around the room. “I want to stay here.”

“But I thought once you knew Théo was gone-.” Scott starts to say.

“That I would just move on?” Tessa interjects. “I’m glad I know everything you’ve told me, really. I feel more at peace than I have in...Well I guess years. But I’m still not ready.”

“Any reason why?” Scott asks her. He watches as she twirls around to face him, her movement graceful and flowing. 

“I want to dance. I’ve noticed that you’re struggling with your choreography. Théo and I had this wonderful free dance planned, and I think I could make it work for your team.” She explains. 

Scott can’t help but stare at her. “Wait...you want to coach my team?” 

“Not coach.” She smiles at him. “I want to choreograph for your team.”

————

Every night for a week after, Scott stays at Gadbois late. Tessa appears like clockwork each night, and slowly they piece together Eve and Benji’s free dance. 

It’s odd, he supposes, that he’s taking choreography tips from a ghost. He doesn’t think anyone would believe him, and that’s why he doesn’t say a word to Marie-France, Patch or his team. The last thing he needs is for them to think he’s gone crazy.

“It’s a bit dated.” Is the first thing Benji says after Scott walks them through the program in the studio. 

The audio jumps, and Scott knows that’s Tessa’s way of protesting that her choreography is most certainly not dated.

“I realize it isn’t exactly modern, but I think once I get it on the ice that we can change a few things and make it a really solid program.” He explains. “But if you really don’t like it I need to know now.”

“Let’s keep workshopping it.” Eve suggests. “I think it’s kinda cool.”

“Alright.” Scott claps his hands together. “Tell me what doesn’t feel right to you guys, and I’ll make some notes on what I can change.”

The process goes well, and while he knows Tessa might be against some of the changes, he loves the ideas his team comes up with. 

————

“What do you mean they don’t like that lift?!” Tessa cries out when he shares his notes with her that night. “That is a beautiful lift.”

“It’s very old fashioned, T.” He tries to reason. 

“T?” Tessa repeats. 

“Oh, sorry. It just kind of slipped out. Is it okay if I call you that?” He asks her. 

She nods. “I like it. Théo always called me Tessie.”

“Do you want me to call you that?” He asks her. 

She shakes her head at him, and smiles softly. “No, T is good. Change can be good, I suppose.”

True to her word, Tessa is willing to make changes after that. The program develops into what Scott thinks is one of the best he’s ever seen, though he’ll admit he is a bit biased. 

Eve and Benji love it as they go through it in the dance studio the next day. Their movements are crisp and their lines elongated and clean. The lifts take some time to implement, but they feel so fresh compared to the common lifts most senior teams use. 

Getting the program onto the ice is the next step. 

Scott waits around in the studio for Tessa to appear that night. He runs through the program again, marking out the lifts and thinking of ways to keep the dance steps fluid on ice. 

“Do you still skate?” 

Scott looks up at the question and sees Tessa leaning against the back wall. “I do, yeah.”

Tessa moves towards him, her smile wide. “We should try it out on the ice tonight!”

Her enthusiasm is infectious. Scott finds himself smiling back. “Yeah? I’d be willing to try that. Can you skate?”

Tessa nods. 

“Okay. Let’s go then.” He says, and offers his hand to her. She shakes her head with a sly smile and then promptly disappears. 

Right, he thinks, ghost travel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reaching! Please feel free to come chat with me on tumblr @theannoyinglyfuriouscollection!


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously I didn’t get this wrapped up on Halloween - but if you’ve read any of my stories you know I tend to never finish anything on time! 
> 
> I so deeply appreciate the love I’ve gotten on this story. Every review has been so wonderful, and really kept me motivated! 
> 
> Seeing Rock the Rink in Mississauga on Wednesday pushed me to finish this story. So after a lot of sleep today to catch up after a whirlwind 26 hour trip, I finished and edited the last chapter. I hope you all enjoy!

_Previously..._

_“Do you still skate?”_

_Scott looks up and sees Tessa leaning against the back wall. “I do, yeah.”_

_Tessa moves towards him, her smile wide. “We should try it out on the ice tonight!”_

_Her enthusiasm is infectious. Scott finds himself smiling back. “Yeah? I’d be willing to try that. Can you skate?”_

_Tessa nods._

_“Okay. Let’s go then.” He says, and offers his hand to her. She shakes her head with a sly smile and then promptly disappears._

_Right, he thinks, ghost travel._

Chapter Six

Tessa is waiting from him at center ice when he finally gets down there. She has a coy smile on her lips, and he can’t help but shake his head at her fondly. 

“You know some of us can’t travel through walls.” He calls out as he puts his skates on. 

“Yeah, well some of us are dead, so I think you have a fair trade off.” She calls back. It’s a grim retort, but it still makes Scott laugh. He steps out onto the ice and skates towards her.

Her figure shimmers under the rink lighting. He doesn’t see anything different about her, and she doesn’t have skates on her feet, but every time she moves she glides with perfect ease and the sounds of blades scraping the ice echoes around the rink. 

“Come dance with me!” She says as she skates past him. He skates after her, picking up speed as he goes until they’re skating side by side. 

The audio system screeches, and the free dance they’ve been working on starts playing. 

“Dance with me.” Tessa holds her hand out to him. He reaches out for her, and while his hand goes straight through hers, he can feel the icy coldness of where she is. 

They dance together like they’ve been dancing together for years. It’s feels natural and elegant and just...right. Even dancing with his own skating partner never felt this good. 

They finish the song with him down on one knee and her cradled to his chest, their hands intertwined. 

“That was perfect.” Tessa says looking up at him. He can’t respond right away. He hasn’t performed on that level in years, and while he’s in shape he seriously can’t breathe normally after that. 

“It was.” He finally replies. Tessa floats to her feet, which still really weirds him out. “I think Benji and Eve will really love it.”

Tessa smiles sadly, and he can see her eyes shining with unshed tears. 

“I’ll be watching.” She whispers, and then disappears. 

————

“C’est magnifique.” Marie-France shouts from the boards and applauds as Benji and Eve rise out of the ending pose. 

“I’m so glad you like it.” Scott tells her. He knew the piece was perfection, but he was still nervous about showing it to his boses. 

“And here I thought you said you weren’t good at choreography.” Patch claps him on the shoulder. 

“Well I’ve been working on this one for a while.” Scott shrugs. 

Benji and Eve skate up to the boards, their grins practically wrapped about their heads. 

“You two can head off to lunch. Great work.” Scott tells them, giving them both fist bumps as they come off the ice. 

“There was just something that seemed so familiar about that free dance.” Marie says. “Maybe it’s just the style?”

“Oh, I took some inspiration from the early days of ice dance.” Scott tells her. Which isn’t a lie, really. 

“Yes, I could tell. You blended the 80’s style very well with modern movement. It’s unique.” Patch comments. 

They all jump as the song starts to echo across the rink, and Marie quickly hits the remote to pause it. 

“Goodness, we haven’t had anything like that happen in a while.” Marie comments. “I thought maybe she’d gone.”

Scott keeps quiet. 

“Scott…” Patch drawls out when he notices how quiet Scott is. 

“Yeah it’s been quiet.” Scott agreed. The look Marie-France gives him tells him he’s totally caught. “Except some nights it’s a little less quiet.” 

“And by less quiet you mean?” Patch asks.

Scott crosses his arms and then uncrosses them. He hates lying, and honestly he’s awful at it. He doesn’t want to betray Tessa’s trust, but he can’t keep his bosses in the same either. 

“The ghost, Tessa, she’s been around a lot at night. I found out from the old documents Marie found for me that Tessa used to ice dance here way back when Gadbois opened.” He explains. “It may sound crazy, but she kind of inspired me.”

Marie-France and Patch stare at him.

“I think you may need to start at the beginning.” Marie says slowly, and so Scott does.

————

After a long conversation about how it might be just a bit concerning that Scott was taking choreography lessons from someone who had been dead for over 40 years, both Marie-France and Patch agreed that an exception could be made this one time. 

Just a few short weeks later Scott is in Paris with Benji and Eve, watching with pride as they do Tessa’s piece every bit of justice. His only regret is that Tessa isn’t here to see them, especially since she told him she always wanted to go back to Paris someday.

His regret only intensifies when Eve and Benji manage to snag gold. 

Eve is practically vibrating out of her skin when he meets up with them after the medal ceremony.

“Coach! Listen, Benji and I have been talking and we’d really like to hire on whoever helped you choreography the free.”

“Oh, Eve.” He starts to say, but she cuts him off. 

“We aren’t replacing you of course, we just think having a choreographer with us full time would be great. Whoever helped you is brilliant!” She exclaims, and Benji nods along enthusiastically.

“Listen, I’d love to hire the person that helped me,” he tells her. “But unfortunately she’s...moving.” 

“Oh.” Eve says sadly. “Well I guess that’s okay.”

“I’m sorry, Eve, really. I want her to stay too but her job is taking her elsewhere.” He hates lying to her, but the last thing they all need is for Eve to pester Tessa everyday about choreography. Tessa may not be an angry ghost, but who knows what she’d be like when provoked. 

“It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.” Eve shrugs. “Ready for the press conference?”

Scott nods and follows his team down the hallway. 

————

As usual, the press conference is boring. By the halfway point he’s barely listening. 

“You’ll have to ask our coach about the inspiration for our free.” He hears Benji say. 

Oh boy.

The press conference wraps up a few minutes later, and he’s immediately got four reporters coming at him with their microphones out. 

“Excuse me, Mr. Moir? We’d like to talk with you about your team’s free dance.” One of them asks. 

He puts on his best media smile. “Sure. Ask away.”

They all take a minute to set up, and then the questions fly. 

“Where did your inspiration come from?”

“Did you think drawing influence from some older ice dance styles was worth the risk?”

“Who helped you choreograph?”

He holds up a hand and the questions come to a halt.

“My inspiration came from an ice dancing pair from 1979. They never made it to the Olympics, but I was really taken by the free dance of Tessa Virtue and Théo Gagner. I felt with some modern influence that their final free dance would be perfect for Eve and Benji.” He says.

“Did you have any help with that?” One of the reporters asks.

He nods. “I did, but she’d like to remain anonymous I think.”

The press clamors to ask more questions, but he politely declines and heads off to find Benji and Eve, Tessa’s existence still safely hidden with him. 

————

“It all sounds so wonderful, Scott.” Tessa tells him. 

He’d come to the rink as soon as he’d gotten back from Paris to tell Tessa all about the competition. She’d been so excited to see him that she’d appeared as soon as he’d called for her. 

“I wish you could have been there, T. They did so well, and everyone just loved your choreography. Eve even asked if we could hire you, not that she knows it’s you.”

Tessa smiles brightly. “I would love that so much, but I don’t think that would go over so well with the ISU.”

“Probably not.” Scott laughs. “Everyone wanted to know who choreographed the piece. I kept your secret of course, but you would be high in demand if it were possible.”

“I appreciate that.” Tessa floats around him. “I’m just so happy that my piece finally got to be performed in a competition.”

She shifts and faces the windows, staring up at the bright moon. “I must admit that besides seeing Théo again that all I’ve wanted since I...well, you know, passed is for that last dance to make its way into the world. We were so excited for people to see it, and now they have.”

Scott walks around her. She’s looking wistfully out the window, and an overwhelming sense of peace and sadness radiate off her.

“I’m glad I was able to help you. It’s a beautiful piece, and it means even more to me knowing it comes from you.” He says.

She turns towards him, her hand gently caressing his arm. “I’m glad to have known you, Scott Moir. Truly.”

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” He asks. He thinks he’s known the answer to that question for a while.

“I feel ready now. I love being here, but I think it’s time.” She turns to face him fully. “I’m not scared anymore.”

“I’m happy for you.” He tries to smile, but he knows it probably doesn’t look too convincing. “I’ll miss you though.”

She kisses him on the cheek. “I’ll always be with you. You may not be able to see me, but I’ll be watching over you.”

Scott nods, blinking back the tears that flood his eyes. 

“Dance with me.” Tessa holds out her hand to him. He takes it, his hand closing around the coolness that hovers near him. 

They sway around the room, moving from dance style to dance style. Tessa’s joyous laughter floats through the air as they twirl. After a while they come to a gentle sway, shifting their weight back and forth. 

“What do you think it would have been like if we were alive at the same time?” Tessa whispers. 

Scott hums, thinking of a life where Tessa grew up alongside him. A life where they met at the Ilderton Arena, grew up skating together, competing together and even dancing together. A life where they won competitions, even the Olympics. 

A life where maybe they could have been happy together. 

“I think our lives could have been wonderful.” He settles on saying. 

“Me too.” She replies. “We would have made great partners I think.”

“The best.” Scott says firmly. 

“But I’m glad I was alive when I was. I never would have met Théo.” She sighs. 

“And maybe I would have never even have met you.” Scott says, squeezing her hand. 

Tessa looks up at him. “I suppose your right. I think we both ended up exactly when we were supposed to.”

They stop swaying, and stand facing each other. The air is thick in the room in a way Scott has never felt before, but a warmth seems to spread around the room.

“I think I’m ready.” Tessa says. She seems to hesitate, and then pulls Scott to herself. He goes easily into her arms, and she feels more solid than she ever has. He squeezes her to him, one last goodbye before she goes. 

She pulls back a moment later, and smiles at him. “I feel warm. I haven’t felt warm in so long.”

“Good. You deserve to feel warm.” He tells her. 

Tessa seems to shimmer before him, her image slowly fading. 

“I see him, Scott. I see Théo. He’s waiting for me.” She says, her voice seeming to bounce off the walls and float in every direction. 

“Go to him, Tess.” He tells her, swallowing around the lump in his throat, but with a smile on his lips. 

“Thank you, Scott. For everything.” She says. “I’ll be watching over you.”

“Thank you, Tessa Virtue.” He replies, a few tears leaking down his cheeks. 

Tessa gives him one last smile, and then she disappears. 

“Goodbye, T.” Scott whispers, and then walks out of the dance studio. 

————

The weeks after Tessa leaves are quiet. 

Some of the teams and coaching staff quietly talk about how the ghost seems to be gone, though Scott tries to avoid those conversations. 

He misses her. 

It seems odd to miss someone who was never physically there, he supposes, but his few months with Tessa left more of an impact on him than he thought. 

Eve and Benji manage to make the podium in their next few competitions, and by the end of the season they’ve had a stellar first year as seniors. He’s with them in Belgium for the final competition of the season, and ultimately the last time they’ll perform Tessa’s piece. 

He wishes she could see them, be there with him at the boards as they shine for the whole world to see. 

————

They finish with a bronze medal, and both Eve and Benji are thrilled to have finished the season on a high note. Scott doesn’t think he’s ever been so proud in his life, and he sends them off to party with a few other Gadbois skaters after the press conference wraps up. 

He declines dinner with the coaching staff, and heads into the city to walk around and take in the sights. Mainly he wants to spend the last hours of the day by himself, some quiet time to reflect on what has been a whirlwind season. 

The street lights sparkle, and while it isn’t Paris, Scott thinks Tessa would have liked Belgium just as much. 

He window shops, not really looking for anything in particular but keeping an eye out for anything his mom, nieces or nephews might like. Jewelry stores seem to be in abundance, but it’s the third one along the street that catches his eye with their display. 

The usual diamond rings and gemstone encrusted bracelets line the velvet shelves, but a row of necklace charms catch his eye. A few are items like hearts, four leaf clovers and crosses, but it’s the letters that catch his eye. A silver letter T done in a slightly cursive style glistens under the lights. The silver is a near perfect match to his own necklace from his grandfather. Before he realizes what he’s doing he’s in the shop, asking to see the pendant.

He walks out a few minutes later with a bag in hand.

————

“So who’s T?” Eve asks. 

Scott raises an eyebrow at her, and shifts his blades on the ice. They’ve been back in Montreal for a few days, and he’s honestly surprised she hadn’t noticed sooner. 

“Don’t play dumb, coach. That charm wasn’t on your necklace during our competition. So who’s T? Is she your girlfriend? Or boyfriend? A secret lover?”

“Geez Eve…” Benji sighs, shaking his head at her before skating to the boards for a drink. 

“T is someone who was a good friend and provided me with a lot of inspiration.” Scott tells her, trying to keep his explanation vague. 

“So not a secret lover?” Eve confirms, though he notes her voice is a bit less excited. He thinks she was hoping for some good rink gossip.

“Take a break, Eve.” He says, rolling his eyes, and she shrugs before skating off. 

Scott can’t help but smile to himself though, and his fingers graze over the T on his chest. He tucks it back into the safety of his sweatshirt, gently patting it. 

Patch catches his eye from across the rink, and nods. He hasn’t told Patch about helping Tessa move on, but he thinks that somehow Patch knows. 

“It’s been quiet around here, no?” Marie-France says from behind him. 

He turns to face her. “Well, it is the end of the season.”

Marie hums. “Tessa...she’s gone, isn’t she?”

“She is.” Scott confirms.

“And she is..was happy?” Marie asks.

“Yes, she went peacefully. She’s where she belongs now.” He tells her. “I would have told you and Patch sooner, but-.”

Marie shakes her head. “You had a special bond with her. It’s not something I think I’ll ever understand, but I respect it. I’m just glad that she is at peace.”

“Me too.” Scott says quietly. He doesn’t tell Marie how much he misses Tessa’s presence, or how he doesn’t know what to do with his evenings now that he doesn’t need to be in the dance studio late at night.

But he feels good. He knows she’s happy where she is, and he wouldn’t have had such a great first season coaching at Gadbois without her. She may be gone, but he can’t shake the feeling she’s watching over him. 

He smiles softly, and skates off the ice, ready to bring his first year in Montreal to a close. 

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I’m hoping to work on another one-shot series similar to my Christmas series last year but with a different theme. The timeline on that is murky right now, so bare with me. 
> 
> If you want to come chat about this fic, my fic ideas or anything Tessa and Scott, please come visit me on tumblr @theannoyinglyfuriouscollection.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading! I’d love to hear what you think either in a comment below or you can come find me on tumblr @theannoyinglyfuriouscollection!


End file.
